


Sick Day

by WallMixer



Category: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Genre: F/M, Gen, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-08
Updated: 2018-06-08
Packaged: 2019-05-19 16:13:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,439
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14877104
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WallMixer/pseuds/WallMixer
Summary: Summary:An illness spreads across the world, turning humans into small colorful equines and plunging the world into anarchy.





	Sick Day

  
Published at: 2017-04-19  
Revised at: 2017-04-19 15:03:42 -0400  
  
Chapter 1: Day One  


>Be in class  
>Listening to Thermo lecture  
>"...And that's how we apply the first law to this system"  
>Le sudden coughing fit  
>I felt fine this morning  
>"That cough is spreading like wild fire, I didn't have it this morning" the professor comments  
>ten minutes into class and I've lost count how many people have coughed  
>on top of that I've started having a hot flash and my skin tingles  
>I look at my arms, where they always so hairy?  
>And... Pink?  
>My thoughts are interrupted by another coughing fit  
>This ones worse  
>I fall forward onto the floor  
>I feel like I'm going to vomit as my stomach does a barrel role  
>My skin feels like I'm getting poked by white hot needles  
>I sputter in pain as my legs and arms are stretched and compressed  
>My hands cramp tight into a fist  
>There's a sharp pain in my lower back, like I've been stabbed  
>My ears feel odd, like they're sending more information than usual  
>My mouth and tongue feel.. longer?  
>The coughing subsides and the pain fades  
>I lay there on the floor for a moment, eyes tight shut  
>Everyone's strangely silent  
>I hope that they don't notice my boner  
>My ears go flush as I realize my clothes have fallen of slightly  
>They feel so baggy, did I get smaller?  
>I open my eyes and start to stand up  
>I do a double take at the pink muzzle in the bottom of my vision  
>As I try to pull my pants up I notice I can't feel my fingers  
>I quickly look at my hand  
>Fuck!  
>My hand is gone  
>In its place is a pink hoof  
>Looking back at my body I see a pink coat of fur, and a light blue tail  
>I'm a horse  
"What the fuck?"  
>The class continues to stare in shock, apparently unable to process what they just saw  
>Another student falls into a coughing fit  
>patches of fur begin to break out across his body  
>A scream goes out and the class begins to hurry out of the lecture hall  
>I sit on my hunches, this is all so surreal  
>...And yet, strangely delightful  
>I turn to the professor  
"So, is the lecture canceled?"  
>I smile as my professor gives me a troubled stare  
>She opens her mouth to say something, then promptly shuts it  
>The gears in her head are turning, processing the implications of what’s happening  
>After a moment there is a loud popping sound, like a joint popping out of its socket  
>Actually that’s probably what it was  
>Several seconds later the coughing settles down  
>I can hear the student trying to catch her breath  
>Suddenly she shrieks  
>”Where’d my dick go?”  
>My professor seems highly disturbed by this implication  
>I on the other hand am mostly reminded of my raging hard on, and shift to cover it up as best I can  
>The professor takes a seat and blots her forehead as my fellow student trots up behind me  
>I turn to look at her  
>She has a red coat and blond mane, not to mention a pair of wings and a very sour expression  
>”I should have stayed in bed” she states as she sits down next to me  
>The professor takes a deep breath and speaks  
>”Is it painful?”  
>I shrug  
“It’s rather uncomfortable, the legs are the worst of it”  
>”At least you still have your…” the red mare mutters  
>My professor nods, apparently coming to terms with what is most likely inevitable  
>”Is there any warning? Did you notice anything before it happ-?” She coughs violently.  
>She’s close, I can see little blue hairs popping up  
“I had a hot flash, what about you?”  
>”Same” The mare nods  
>”oh god I think it-“  
>She breaks into a coughing fit and falls forward  
>Icey blue fur is breaking out is patches across her body  
>Her nose and mouth begin to elongate into a short muzzle as her ears migrate up to the top of her head  
>I’m slightly alarmed at the sight of a small growth bursting through her forehead  
>It presses forward becoming a spiral shaped horn  
>Her hands and feet begin to stretch out as her fingers and toes fuse together  
>Her upper arms shorten dramatically, while her feet rapidly grow in length  
>Her shoulders begin shifting forward, under her new barrel  
>The brown curls of her hair have become snow white and a matching tail is growing from of her new dock  
>She coughs and sputters as the transformation subsides  
>After a few moments she catches her breath and sits up  
>”Well that was… Horrible”  
>I shrug  
“I think it’s kind of nice”  
>She looks at me dumfounded, then muses quietly to her self  
>”I suppose once it’s over it is rather tranquil”  
>”I miss my dick” the red mare chimes in  
>The professor opens her mouth to scold her, but then reconsiders  
>We sit in an awkward silence for a moment  
“So what do we do now?”  
>”We should probably…” the professor considers her options  
>”We should head up to my office, that’s where most people would look for me. If we’re still contagious we should stay together and avoid leaving the building. I’m sure someone will come for us”  
>The two of us nod to her  
>”Great, gather your things. We’ll head out as soon as we’re all ready”  
>The mare heads back up the aisle to her seat, while I gather my clothes up off the ground  
>Thankfully my dick has receded into its sheath, I definitely don’t need that waving around as we head to the professor’s office  
>Figuring I’ll never where them again, I simply wad up my shirt and pant and cram them into my backpack  
>I’m slightly more careful with my notes, hopefully I continue my studies when this is over  
>Holding the back in place with my hoof I grab the zipper with my teeth and pull it closed  
>I look over my shoulder and see that the professor has gathered her things into her purse  
>She holds it in her mouth and nods to me before walking back towards the exit  
>I bite down on my backpacks handle and follow her  
>The steps give me some difficulty, the heavy bag of books catches on every one of them  
>By the time we make it to the back the Red mare has joined us at the door  
>I hear a state of general chaos in the hallway, people are running, coughing and screaming.  
>Our professor takes a deep breath and pushes the door open  
>The hall is filled with crowds of students trying to get out of the building  
>Every one avoids us as we make our way down the hall, it makes going against the flow much easer  
>Several people have fallen over and begun to transform  
>”They say you’re not supposed to use the elevators in emergencies, so hopefully they’ll be clear”  
>After fumbling with her hooves Prof. Pone presses the call button with her horn  
>A few seconds later the doors swing open, revealing an elevator packed with students  
>They all back further into the elevator upon seeing us  
>We stand to the side to let them out and they quickly file one by one into the hall. Hugging the far side of the wall the entire time  
>As the last one leaves we quickly climb on board and the professor presses the button for the third floor  
>The elevator is an older one, The reek of heavy machine oil assaults my new nose  
>In place of elevator music we have a cacophony of grinding gears  
>”Maybe this wasn’t a good Idea…”  
“Isn’t this the one that doesn’t always open?”  
>”This wasn’t a good idea”  
>There’s a ding and the door opens  
>A group of students stand waiting to board  
>I check the level  
“This is the second floor”  
>The one in front speaks “Uh, we’ll take the next one”  
>Prof. Pone presses the “close door” button and we continue our assent  
>”Professor what do you think is going on?”  
>The unicorn shrugs “I have no idea, I’m sure we’ll find out”  
>The red mare looks at me  
>”I’m Cri- I mean I’m Calvin, what’s your name?”  
“Hi Calvin, I’m, eh, Thomas. Nice to meet you”  
>For some reason saying my name felt, odd  
>I had this odd urge to correct myself…  
>My thoughts are disrupted by a ding from the elevator  
>It opens to reveal that it’s a full foot below floor level  
>”Great, now this” Calvin quips  
>The professor quickly climbs out  
>”Come on you to, it’s only a foot”  
>About chest high for us now  
>I rear back and jump forward. my hooves slide a little on the yellow linoleum floor, but I’m able to pull myself up  
>Calvin follows after, instinctively flapping her wings as she jumps  
>The boost is all she needed to land on all fours next to us  
>Our professor nods and leads us down the hallway  
>This level is deserted by now, all it had where offices, and there was a fire escape on the floor above us  
>We stop in front of her office, the name plate reads Dr. Moore.  
>I should have known that, but I didn’t  
>The inside of her office is well kept, everything is nice and organized  
>A leather chair sits behind a mahogany desk, two office chairs sit in front of it  
>Against the right wall are two orderly bookshelves  
>Dr. Moore passes between the shelves and her desk, taking a seat in her chair  
>”Make your selves comfortable, I need to make some calls”  
>We take a seat in the office chairs  
>I contemplate taking out my phone, but I have no way of using a touch screen at this point  
>I sigh  
“that’s the real tragedy here”  
>Calvin looks at me  
>”What is?”  
“That I can’t use my phone, I’m being sarcastic of course”  
>She nods  
>”Normally I would agree with you, but the loss of my dick is far worse”  
>She didn’t sound to convening though  
>Dr. Moore struggles with the phone, trying to hold it between her head and body  
>Eventually she gives up trying to hold it and just lays it on the table  
>She calls several numbers, unfortunately she kept speaker phone off  
>I start to play idly with my new ears  
>They can turn back and forth, go flush up against my head  
>It’s strangely enjoyable to just wiggle them back and fourth  
>Calvin seems to be having fun preening her wings  
>After a few moments Dr. Moore hangs up the phone  
>”That was far less informative than I hoped”  
“So what are we supposed to do?”  
>”They said shelter in place, apparently no one know what’s going on”  
>”So we’re stuck here until when exactly?” Calvin asks  
>”Until they say we can go, don’t worry I’ll share my snacks if you get hungry”  
“Mind if I look out the window?”  
>She nods at me “Feel free”  
>I step around her desk and look out  
>A few stragglers are still running around, I notice several congregations of confused ponies  
>There are several broken windows, and clothes littler the side walks  
>If I didn’t know better I’d say it was one hell of a party  
>Calvin joins me  
>”What do you think is going to happen? Can they cure us?”  
“I don’t know. I mean I feel fine now. What if the change is permanent?”  
>Dr. Moore chimes in “They’ll figure something out, I’m sure”  
>As though seeking a diversion she promptly pulls a bottle of water from the drawer  
>”Are either of you thirsty?”  
>Without waiting for a response she turns and begins to pull the lid off  
>The bottle does not want to cooperate, sliding between her hooves as she twists it  
>”Hold still”  
>Her horn begins to give off a ghostly blue light  
>The bottle glows as well and stays in place as she pulls the cap off  
>”There weeeee-“  
>She stares at the bottle now floating just in front of her face  
>The glow quickly dissipates and the bottle falls to the desk, spilling everywhere  
>There is a moment of silence as we process this new development  
>Dr. Moore closes her eyes and concentrates  
>Light begins to dance around her horn as the bottle rolls about on the desk  
>After a few attempts she manages to stand it back up  
>We all sit there, mystified at what we just witnessed  
>After a moment Calvin gives it a tentative poke  
“Do it again!”  
>The unicorn shakes her head  
>”T-that shouldn’t be possible”  
>”Could it be magnets or something?” Calvin asked  
>”No, Magnets don’t work like that”  
“What about the weak atomic force?”  
>She shoots me a harsh look  
“Hey, It could work”  
>”What if it ionizes the air around it, and then moves it with magnets?”  
>Dr. Moore contemplates this  
>”There should be a temperature change if that happens”  
>She looks at me  
>”Thomas, stick your nose to it”  
“Why?”  
>”Because I don’t have a thermometer, and you suggested the weak atomic force. Now hope your right and let me know if your nose burns”  
“But what about radiation?”  
>She shrugs “A meter probably won’t make a difference in that regard”  
>”This seems kind of harsh”  
>Dr. Moore chuckled “Oh relax, he should be fine. It didn’t burn the plastic, I just want to see if there’s any temperature change”  
>I hesitantly press my nose to the bottle  
>After a moment it starts to glow  
>”Anything?”  
“My nose feels kind of… tingly, not temperature change though”  
>The glowing stops  
>”Hmm… Maybe it’s electrostatics…”  
>”They would have the stuff to test for that wouldn’t they?”  
>”Yes, down in one of the labs. But they said shelter in place”  
“But Sciences!” I quip  
>”Can wait until things settle down. Trust me, no one wants to figure out what this is more than me”  
>She levitates the bottle and divides what remains into the cups  
>”Have a drink, it will probably be a while”  
>She sets the cup on the floor in front of me  
>I contemplate how to drink it, no fingers, holding it between my hooves sounds like a recipe for disaster, and I’m far too proud to lap at it like a dog  
>After a moment I hold the rim in my teeth, seal the bottom with my lower lip, and tilt my head back  
“I wish I had a shot of whisky”  
>Calvin nods “I could go for a drink myself”  
>”None of that here, this is a dry campus”  
>I wonder how she would feel about the flask in my backpack  
>A thought occurs to me  
“Can ponies even drink alcohol?”  
>There’s just a trace of panic in my voice  
>The two mares ponder this for a moment  
>”Considering that we are not normal ponies that question seems superfluous”  
“Ok, can we still drink alcohol?”  
>Dr Moore shrugs “I guess we’ll find that out latter”  
>”Yeah later, when we’re in the internment camp getting vivisected”  
>We both look at Calvin  
“What are talking about?”  
>”Come on, infectious or not do you really think they’ll just let us walk away?”  
“If we’re not carriers they have to, we’re US citizens”  
>Calvin gives a disgruntled look  
>”We are three foot tall talking horses, do you really think they’ll treat us like citizens. Hell we’ll be lucky if they treat us like humans”  
>There’s panic in her voice  
>”Please Calvin, calm down”  
>”No! I want to go home. I want to go home and go to bed and”  
>She chokes up, tears streaming down her face  
>”I don’t want to be a mare, I just don’t…”  
>She degenerates into sobbing  
“Calvin?”  
>She lays down on the floor and continues to cry  
>I move closer to her  
“Calvin you’ll make it through this, we’l-“  
>She suddenly throws herself around me, suddenly pulling me into a hug  
>It takes me by surprise, but I return her embrace and pat her back with my hoof  
“There, there. It’s going to be alright”  
>She leans into me and cries into my shoulder  
“We’ll make it through this”  
>Fuck, I suck at comforting people  
“It will all be fine”  
>Generic reassurance here  
>I decide to quit talking and just hold on to her  
>To my surprise Dr. Moore joins us  
>It’s difficult to read her face, but she’s definitely stressed  
>We continue to hold Calvin quietly until she calms back down  
>After a while she stops and sniffs  
>”T-thank you” she says in a quiet voice  
>Dr. Moore pats her back  
>”It’s ok, out of all of us you’ve changed the most. But we will get through this, together”  
>I give an affirming nod  
>Calvin eases out of the group hug  
>”I’d like to rest for a little if that’s ok”  
>Dr. Moore smiles  
>”Given what we’ve all gone through I’d say some rest isn’t a bad Idea. It’s not like we have anywhere to go”  
>Calvin nods and shifts onto her side, resting her head on the floor  
>Dr. Moore climbs into her chair and try’s to make herself comfortable  
>After a moment she settles into a position with her head on one arm rest and her hind legs protruding under the other  
>”Are you going to sleep?”  
“Maybe in a little”  
>Now’s my chance, I just need to wait for them to nod off, then all the whisky is mine  
>”Ok, wake me if anything happens”  
“Will do”  
>I pull out my lap top and boot it up  
>After fiddling with the keyboard and dongle I finally settle on using a pencil to peck at the keys  
>It’s agonizingly slow, but it gets the job done  
>There’s got to be a shit storm of chatter on the internet right now  
>I should probably message my family and tell them I’m…  
>Well I’m a little horse, but I’m fine  
>I try to bring up the internet  
>My browser displays a “No Connection” Error  
>I check my Wi-Fi settings, No networks available  
>Crap, that can’t be good  
>Well, I don’t have any way to fix it right now  
>I sigh and close out of my browser  
>There’s not a lot that I can do right now, I can’t play any games without fingers  
>I look at the small camera built into the top of the screen  
>May as well see what I look like  
>The camera program opens up  
>After a few seconds the screen displays my face  
>I’m surprised that I actually recognize it as my face  
>It’s covered in a coat of short and bristly pink fur like the rest of my body  
>My hair now consists of a mane of light blue hair that runs halfway down my neck  
>My neck is much longer as well, I can look directly behind me quite easily  
>Turning to one side, I get a profile look of my head  
>I notice that my peripheral vision is much wider, no doubt owing to the new position of my eyes  
>My eyes!  
>I just now notice they are much larger, almost cartoonish in proportion to the rest of my face  
>Not only that, but my nose and mouth now form a large muzzle extending out from my face  
>It makes up a solid third of the length of my head, and represents the entirety of my face below my eyes  
>I face the camera again, taking in my new features once more  
>A slight twitch draws my attention to the top of my head  
>A pair of ears stand alert at the top of my head, periodically swiveling towards new sounds  
>I smile as I give my ears a little flick  
>I could almost pass for one of those big stuffed animals you see at the fair  
>For some reason I’m ok with this  
>I’m perfectly fine with being a small pink horse, even if I don’t get telekinesis or wings  
>Suddenly I remember my original intent  
>I look behind me to see if the coast is clear  
>Calvin in snoring soundly in the corner, and Dr. Moore hasn’t moved from her spot on the chair  
>Now’s my chance  
>I carefully unzip my backpack and reach down into one of the internal pockets  
>It’s a little difficult to get my snoot into, but after some struggling I’m able to bight down on the cap  
>Making as little noise as possible I withdraw the stainless steel flask  
>Half empty unfortunately, it was the last of the bottle  
>I was going to save it for just after my Thermo exam, but events being what they are  
>Now to get the lid off  
>The flat hipflask is much easier to hold in place than a round bottle, even without magic  
>Just as the metal lid flips open I hear Dr. Moore stir behind me  
>”Thomas, What are you doing?”  
>I’m between her and the flask, I just need to think of something good  
“Nothing”  
>Brilliant, she will never see through that ruse  
>”Mhmm, give me the flask”  
“How did you know it was a flask?”  
>”I was in college once too you know, now give it to me”  
>I pick it up and set it on her desk  
>”Consider this a bribe”  
>She levitates it up to here mouth and takes a swig  
>She blinks in surprise  
>”This is surprisingly good whisky for a college student”  
“It was a gift. I was saving it for a special occasion”  
>She nods  
>”Well, I’d say this is definitely a once in a life time event”  
>Calvin opens her eyes and starts to shift  
>”Sorry Calvin, I didn’t mean to wake you”  
>Calvin instantly spots the floating flask  
>”Can I have some?”  
>Dr. Moore gives me a glance  
>She probably needs it the most out of any of us  
“Sure, but save me some”  
>The metal bottle floats over to the red mare  
>She holds it with her lips and tilts her head back  
>”Thank you” she says, setting it in front of me  
>I quickly snap up the flask and throw my head back  
>There’s not even a full shot left, Damn  
>I politely conceal my disappointment behind a grin  
>At least Calvin seems a little happier  
>”So did I miss anything else?” She asks Dr. Moore  
>”No, I should probably check in. Hopefully someone has figured this all out by now”  
>The phone floats up to her head as she dials  
>A moment passes  
>Dr. Moore lets out a sigh  
>She flashes the hook several times  
>”The line is dead”  
>She returns the phone to its receiver  
“So now what?”  
>”Maybe they don’t know how to answer the phone with hooves?” Calvin suggested  
>The professor stares at the phone for a moment, then lets out a sigh  
>”We’re going down there to see what happened.”  
>She climbs out of her chair and looks at the flask and bottle for a moment  
>”Thomas could you go refill these? Just in case the water goes out”  
“sure thing”  
>I have no idea how I’m going to do that, but I’ll try  
>With the two bottles awkwardly in my mouth I head out into the hallway  
>It’s completely deserted, apparently we were the only shmucks who went upstairs during the emergency  
>Thankfully the college got those motion activated water dispensers  
>All I had to do was take the lids off and place them under the spigot  
>It even shut itself off when the bottle was full  
>The flask gave me a little more trouble, it did not want to balance on the drain and the auto off feature didn’t trigger for it  
>After a couple of tries I was able to get it filled up  
>My task was complete, now to return  
>Calvin had her backpack on, with a pile of books off to the side  
>”You got the water?”  
>I set the containers on the floor  
“Yes, what’s with the pack?”  
>”We don’t know what’s going on, it’s best to be ready for anything” Dr. Moore explains  
>”We were able to fit Dr. Moore’s food stash into my bag. The books where going to be dead weight anyway”  
“Not a bad idea”  
>I pull my textbooks and notes out of my bag and replace them with the water  
>”Well if your both set, we can begin”  
“Begin what?”  
>Dr. Moore shrugs “I have no idea, hopefully finding out what happened”  
>With that she opens the door and we step out into the hall  
>The elevator is still out of order, so we take the stairs  
>We descend as quietly as possible, but it like trying to tap dance silently  
>By the second floor we had abandoned any attempt at concealing our footfalls  
>Finding it abandoned we continued our decent to the first floor  
>The hallway was clear, but I swear I can hear the muffled sound of hooves on carpet in some of the rooms  
>Dr. Moore led us dutifully down the hall to the main exit  
>The as we come out side we become aware of the full extent of the damage  
>Windows and glass doors had been smashed, people’s clothes and personal items lay abandoned  
>Unfortunately the crowds of ponies we saw from the office had all cleared out by now  
>I would love a little more company  
>We began to head to the student union  
>The union was by far, the hardest hit  
>It’s pane glass windows had all been broken in the riot  
>We stepped through a busted out glass door  
>The inside fared no better than the out  
>The shops all looked half looted  
>Displays and shelves where over turned, most of their contents lay on the floor  
>It doesn’t look like they took that much, after a moment I notice why  
>A small herd of ponies have barricaded themselves in one of the shops  
>”Hey, is it over?” a purple Pegasus asks from behind an over tuned table  
“Is what over?”  
>”You know, the rioting. It’s been quite for a while, are there any humans left?”  
>Dr. Moore shakes her head “We haven’t seen any humans, we came over from the engineering building. It should be safe to come out.”  
>The pony nods and begins to shift the table aside  
>”Do you know what happened to the Administration office? That’s where we’re headed” Dr. Moore asks  
>”I’m from Admin” a white unicorn raises her hoof from behind the barricade  
>With the table out of the way we are permeated into the small enclosure  
>Quickly looking around I estimate about fifty ponies in total, but only two other stallions.  
>Most of them are huddled together trying to comfort each other  
>A few are tending to one with a head wound and another with a bad leg  
>The Admin pone speaks again “They cleared out, they said I had to stay behind because I was already infected.”  
>”Typical elitist assholes” Calvin mutters  
>Nopony else seems to hear her  
>The Admin Pony tells us that her name was Jordan Alexander, but she would prefer to be called Quick Key  
>She proves to be a wealth of information.  
>Apparently the national guard it working on evacuating everyone who isn’t infected and we aren’t the only one’s hit  
>Before the cable and internet went out the news said that this was happening across the world  
>Most of the major cites had been hit the worst, and most of the governments looked like they were going down and out  
>As she was explaining this to us several ponies went on a supply run to get medicine for their injured friends  
>The others gathered what supplies they already had and prepared to move to a more permanent resentence  
>As her story came to a close certain biological functions made themselves evident  
“Hey Doc, I’m going to the restroom could you wait up for me”  
>”I need to go to”  
>Dr Moor nods “I’ll be here when you get back”  
>Calvin and I duck into the men’s restroom  
>It’s a little awkward for me but in the end I’m able to relive myself without getting covered in urine  
>A loud scream from one of the stalls tells me Calvin is having greater difficulties  
>Still there was no ‘sloosh’ so she probably won’t need a bath after this  
>By force of habit I wash my hooves  
>And then completely invalidate the effort by walking across the bathroom floor on them  
>Calvin comes out and joins me  
>”So what do you think of Quick Key?”  
>I shrug  
“She got the short end of the stick and got left behind, why?”  
>”I mean what do you think about changing you name”  
>I pause for a moment  
>There has been something eating at the back of my mind  
“I’ve kind of been thinking of calling myself ‘Fluffy Stuff’”  
>It’s pure cringe but for whatever reason that’s what I’m set on  
>She gives me this look  
>”That is the gayest name I’ve ever heard”  
“Well I told you mine you tell me yours”  
>“Crimson Chaser”  
>I silently curse whatever power dictated that my name would be “Fluffy Stuff” seriously dick move  
>Still Crimson seems to be feeling better now  
>She bumps me with her wing  
>”Come on Fluff, let’s get going”  
>We head back out to rejoin the group  
>Dr. Moor greets us  
>”You’re just in time, we’re ready to move”  
>I guess that’s the benefit of having very little in the way of supplies  
“Great, where to exactly?”  
>”One of the classroom buildings, they said it doesn’t have any damage to it and it’s mostly cleared”  
>”Why not one of the residence halls?” Crimson chimed in  
>The Dr. Shrugged  
>”They probably don’t want to deal with all the locked doors, besides the classroom building is closer”  
“Sounds good to me, do they need any help moving anything?”  
>”They have what they already gathered packed up, but I’m sure they’d welcome some help gathering food”  
>”Alright Fluff, let’s go looting” Crimson says giving me a slap on the back with her wing.  
>”Fluff?”  
>”Yep, that’s his new name. He’s Fluffy Stuff and I’m Crimson Chaser”  
>Dr. Moor nods thoughtfully  
“Do you have a new name you would like to go by?”  
>She sighs and shakes her head  
>”A new name has crossed my mind, but I’m not ready to take that step. Nonetheless I’m glad you two have adapted to the situation, especially you Crimson.”  
>Crimson smiles “I just needed some time, now who should we talk to about scavenging?”  
>”Oh it’s that mare over there, Silver Dust”  
>She gestures to a white unicorn  
>The Professor begins to head out “I’ll meet up with you at the classroom building, see if you can’t find any Snickers bars for me.”  
“Will do, thanks Doctor”  
>We head over to the unicorn in charge of the scavenging operation  
>”We’d like to volunteer to help gather food”  
>She looks us over, nodding approvingly  
>”We could use the help, we have all the restaurants here covered but we need someone to go across the street and check the convenience store. You think you can handle that?”  
>”Yeah, that doesn’t seem to difficult”  
>Silver nods and gives us a bundle of empty trash bags  
>”Grab as much non junk food, nonperishables and water as you can. A couple cans of gas and medical supplies would also be welcome but the focus is food and water for now.”  
>We nod  
“I live not too far from there, should I get some stuff from my house”  
>She looks me over, probably deciding whether I’m trying to make an excuse to grab my shit or not  
>”The store first, if you can carry more you can head to your house and get supplies from it. Understand”  
>I nod  
>”Great, don’t come back with bags full of candy”  
>With that she dismisses us and we head out through a broken window  
>We spot some ponies moving about, but no humans  
>I figure they must have all either evacuated or gone into hiding  
>It’s not far until we come to the store  
>It’s a relatively small shop attached to a gas station, just across the road from the college  
>It’s empty, and it looks like someone got here before us  
>The widows are smashed  
>Shelves are over turned  
>Busted bags of chips litter the floor  
>Every step we take makes a crunching sound  
>Not like it makes much of a difference at this point, we are anything but stealthy with our hooves  
>”Right, real food, preferably nonperishable”  
“Right” I reply in a deadpan voice  
>Finding actual food here was hard when it wasn’t ransacked  
>Can we even eat meat at this point?  
>The answer to my question is staring me in the face  
>A can of beef ravioli, the kind with the little tab so you can open it without a can opener  
>I slip my teeth under the tab and pull  
>I recoil as a fowl aroma fills my nose  
>”What are you doing Fluff?”  
“If this stuff is even half palatable we should take it, it’ll keep forever”  
>Crimson nods  
>I take a noodle in my mouth and try to force it down  
>The flavor is horrible, salty and metallic  
>I sputter and it falls out onto the floor  
>”No good eh?”  
>I shake my head as I try to dismiss the taste  
>”hold on”  
>with a flap of her wings crimson darts over to the refrigerator section and returns with a bottle of soda  
>I quickly take a swig of it and swish it around  
>The sweetness of the beverage makes short work of the lingering taste of meat  
>I spit it into the open can of pasta  
“Now we know meat is off the menu”  
>”Damn, I wanted some bacon”  
>We search the rest of the store, finding a little food  
>In the end we come away with a bag of mixed fruit, trail mix, and ramen noodles, as well as more water than we can carry  
“Well we won’t be going thirsty that’s for sure”  
>Crimson nods  
>”we should check the back, maybe they have more fruit”  
“I tried the door’s locked”  
>Crimson shoots me a dismissive look  
>She moves in front of the door and bucks it as hard as she can  
>The latch breaks under the force of her blow and the door swings open  
>We hear a scream from inside  
>As I step through the door frame I see a man  
>Well sort of a man  
>He’s caught half way through his transformation  
>His hands are partly fused, as are his exposed feet  
>His faces is halfway between human and equine  
>”P-please go away, I don’t wa-“ He breaks into a coughing fit  
“Are you ok?” I ask as I move to help him  
>”No! stay back, I don’t want to end up like you”  
>I stop and give him as sympathetic of a look as I can  
“We can’t stop this, but there are others. If you come with us we can take care of you”  
>”I. I don’t want this” tears are running down the odd contors of his face  
>”I didn’t want it either, but it’s not so bad”  
“Come on, do you really want to be left here alone like this? Please let us help you”  
>He’s sobbing now  
“I’m going to come closer if that’s ok”  
>He nods slightly  
>I move closer to get a good look at him  
>Suddenly he puts his arms around me and slowly guides me towards him  
>He pulls me into an embraces and I roll with it  
“It’ll be ok” I say as I nuzzle the side of his neck  
>He presses his face into my shoulder and begins to cry  
“Shh, it’s ok”  
>I pat him on the back  
>Apparently close contact does accelerate things  
>The effect had moved up his arms and to the rest of his head  
>A pair of ears are now pressed back against his neck  
>He continues to cry into me as the effect runs its course  
>I can hear his voice move into a higher register as short silver fur covers his body  
>After a few moments I am hugging a silver mare as she cries into my shoulder  
“There there, it will be ok”  
>She finally runs out of tears and just sits there, hugging me  
“All better now?”  
>”Yes. T-thanks, you’re very soft”  
“Heh, your welcome”  
>I see a faint flash out of the corner of my eye  
>”Hey Fluff, you got a tramp stamp”  
“What?”  
>I look around and sure enough  
>There is the image of a teddy bear on my flank  
>Which means I am now a pink pony with a blue mane and a teddy bear  
>Named Fluffy Stuff  
>From this moment on my masculinity can rest in pace  
>”Aw don’t feel so bad Fluff, at least you’re a stallion” Crimson says  
>For some reason I feel like being a mare would make this less embarrassing but what do I know?  
>”Is there anything I could do to help?” the new mare asks  
>”Yeah, you could help us carry stuff back. What’s your name by the way?”  
>”Well it’s not my real name but I’d like to go by Silver Streak”  
“Welcome aboard Silver. Now that there’s three we could gather what we can, go to my apartment and drive back in my truck”  
>”How exactly do you propose we do that?”  
“One of us can steer, one can work the peddles, and one can work the gear shift.”  
>”That sounds crazy, I’m in!”  
>”I’ll do what I can” Silver states  
“Alright lets go!”  
>And with that we gathered what we had and headed off to my apartment  
>We see no humans and a few ponies  
>Honestly I’m amazed at how efficiently they got everyone out  
>Or maybe I should be amazed at how quickly this thing works  
>Either way the effect is the same: no humans in site  
>We come to my apartment complex  
>It’s largely untouched by the look of it  
>A few broken windows here and there  
>I guess any looters evacuated with the rest of them  
>It’s not far to my door and I unlock it  
>”I thought we were just here for your car” Silver states  
>I nod  
“That’s our main goal but while we’re here there’s some stuff that might be useful”  
>We step in to my rather Spartan efficiency  
“You two raid my fridge I’ve got a few things that might be usefull”  
>”Yeah sure”  
>The mares head over to the kitchen area as I go for my storage  
>I pull out a folding solar panel and a Maglite  
>The Panel can charge everything up to a lap top  
>Shure the power is still on but who knows how long that could last  
>I also gather my tool box and a first aid kit  
>I head into the bath room and take a case of bar soap and a bottle of shampoo  
>Mane and Tail, I bought this stuff because it’s cheap now I’m glad I did  
>Crimson calls over her shoulder “Hey Fluff is it alright if we take your booze?”  
“Of course we’re taking my booze, on the way back we’re stopping back by the gas station and grabbing all of their booze too!”  
>”Sounds like a plan” She says as she places two bottles of liquor into her bag  
>We gather all the stuff and move out, locking the door behind us  
>My truck is conveniently right in front of my door  
>It’s an old farm truck my grandfather left me  
>We climb in  
>As we expected none of us can reach the foot pedals and still see out the window  
“Right, Crimson you work the peddles and Silver works the gear shift”  
>”Why can’t I drive?” Crimson asks  
“It’s my truck, I drive”  
>Crimson sighs “fine”  
>She climbs into the floor board as I start the engine  
“Right break, and shift us into reverse”  
>I hear Crimson shift her weight as Silver pulls the transmission down  
“Alright let off the break”  
>Crimson relives the break and we begin to roll backwards  
>I guide the truck out of its parking spot and line it up with the road  
“Alright break and shift into drive”  
>We come to a stop and Silver shifts us down two notches  
“Alright A little gas”  
>The truck lurches forward and we quickly move up to 40 mph  
>We come up on the gas station again  
“Slow down!”  
>Crimson slams on the break, sending Silver and I hurtling into the floor board with her  
>”Sorry, I’m still getting the hang of this”  
>I’m lying on my back on top of Crimson  
>Silver is in the passenger side already getting back up  
“Hey Silver can you kill the engine while I get up”  
>”Yeah, one sec”  
>Silver shifts us back to park and turns the key  
>I hear the engine rumble to a stop  
>Crimson and I shift around as I get back into the drives seat  
>A difficult task for a human, damn near impossible for a small equine  
>But in the end I manage to get up  
“Right, let’s forget the booze for now and just get back to the others  
>”Sounds great to me” Silver answered cheerfully  
>Crimson sinkers “That eager to dich us already?”  
>Silver shakes her head “it’s not like that, I just want to meet the others. Are they nice?”  
>I shrug “I can’t really tell who’s who, the only one we’ve had contact with is Dr. Moore. She seems pretty nice”  
>”Could you introduce me when we get there?”  
>”Yeah, can we get moving now, it’s kind of cramped down here”  
“Yeah, break and shift. This time let’s just cruse”  
>Silver shifts us into drive and we slowly make our way back to the student union  
>We put it in park in front of a waving Dr. Moore  
>I open the door and hop out with the others right behind me  
>”I’m glad to see you made it back safely, and I don’t think we’ve been properly introduced” she says looking at Silver Streak  
>”Oh, I’m Silver. I was a shift manager at the gas station”  
>”Nice to meet you Silver, I trust you were successful”  
>Crimson shrugs “there wasn’t a whole lot we could eat, but we took what we could and we brought some more alcohol”  
>”oh, more of that whisky”  
>I shake my head  
“That was the last of the whisky, we’ve got Rum and vodka now”  
>The doctor nods apparently unconcerned by this  
>”I’ll help you un pack, we’ve moved into the building, I’ll show you where we’re storing the food”  
>We gather the sacks and follow the doctor into the building  
>As we go through the hallway I can see ponies rearranging the desks in several rooms  
>In one room what looks like a make shift meal line has been set up, in another a small infirmary is taking care of several injured ponies  
>We come to the end of the hall and step into one of the smaller rooms, currently housing Brass Scale, the unicorn who sent us out  
>”Ah, I see you have returned. What did you find”  
>”Fresh Fruit, some instant noodles and canned beans. There wasn’t much that we could eat” Crimson explains  
>Brass nods “Did you figure the meat part out on your own”  
>”Fluffy did”  
>”I’m sorry to hear that”  
>She looks at Silver  
>”Have we met?”  
>Silver shakes her head “No, I’m Silver Streak. I worked at the gas station”  
>Brass Scales face lights up “Can you stock?”  
>Silver looks somewhat confused “Yes. why?”  
>”That’s great, you can help me organize all of this”  
>”I’m on it”  
“What about us?”  
>Brass looks us over  
>”Well I have every place I can think of covered, so I don’t need you. Ask around and see if anyone needs help”  
“Will do, I’ll see you later Silver”  
>”See you around guys”  
>With that we turn and head back down the hallway  
>”So where did you two find her?” Dr Moor asks  
“Silver? We found her ha halfway through her transformation”  
>Dr Moor eyes me curiously  
>”Halfway? As in she was in between human and pony?”  
>”Yeah, have there been others who are like that?”  
>”No there haven’t” Quick Key states  
>Crimson and I both jump at her sudden arrival  
>”Sorry to interject, but I couldn’t help overhearing you”  
>”its ok, So Silver is the only one who didn’t go straight to being a pony?”  
>”Yes, I just said that. What caused her transform the rest of the way?”  
“I gave her a hug to calm her down, that seemed to speed it up”  
>”You hugged her!” it sounded more like an accusation than a question  
“Yes… Why?”  
>”Well…. Nothing never mind. Forget I said anything” she turns and trots off  
>”That was odd, what crawled up her ass?” Crimson asks the Doctor  
>Dr. Moore shrugs “She hasn’t been like that. I’ve been helping her plan while you where gone”  
“huh” I shrug indifferently “What where you planning?”  
>”We talked about water storage, and she wanted to see what it would take to keep the power plant running”  
>”And what would it take?”  
>Dr. Moore shakes her head “For now, not much just someone to supervise it. In the long run the gas reserves won’t last, and getting more would take horse power that we don’t have”  
“And water storage?”  
>Well thankfully there is a water pump in the park, we just need to get it here”  
“We can use my truck!” I exclaim  
>Dr. Moore smiles “that would be over kill, it would be better to save the gas for when we really need it. I have plans for a water cart, and the stuff we need is in the engineering workshop you can help with that if you want”  
>”Sounds good doc, lead the way”  
>She leads us back to the engineering department  
>The workshop is a rather large room, connected to the engineering building, as well as the outside by two large garage doors  
>the equipment to weld, drill, and many other forms of small scale manufacturing are available  
>Dr. more produces several pieces of engineering paper  
>”These are the plans, we will be using wood to make a frame, mounting one of the plastic takes we have on to that, and then mounting it all onto an axle”  
>I nod  
“Sounds simple enough, let’s get started”  
>I begin to cut the lumber, nothing special  
>The frame is square with a single truss through the center to keep it stable  
>I cut four beams to length and then the fifth I give angled ends to fit neatly into place  
>By the time I’m finished crimson and Dr. Moore already have the wheels and Axle prepped to receive the frame  
>They help me bolt the frame together and lift it onto the axle  
>We tie some rope around Crimson and she lifts the three-hundred-gallon tank onto the frame  
>”Do you think we need some support for this?  
>Dr. Moore looks skeptically at our creation and nods  
>”Fluffy, cut wood for another frame sans the truss and four more pieces a foot and a half long, that should hold it  
>I do as the doctor requests and once again we assemble a frame, using the foot and a half pieces of lumber as spacers  
>Crimson lifts the second frame over the tank and the doctor and I secure with bolts  
>At last we have a cart with a large tank and a reinforcement ring about half way up the frame  
>”That should hold, why don’t you two take it for a test run and fill it up?”  
>”Alright, you heard the mare. Let’s go Fluff.”  
>we tie rope between the cart and us and throw a hose onto the top of the tank and set off to get water  
>The cart proved easy to maneuver when it was empty and the park was not a long way off  
>I’m pretty sure we have better stamina now that we are ponies  
>Considering all that has happened it’s actually a lovely day  
“It nice today, isn’t it?”  
>Crimson contemplates this for a second  
>”Yeah, even with all that happened it’s still been a nice day”  
>That wasn’t what I meant, but I’m glad to hear her say that  
>”I feel ok, now that I’ve had a little time to think about it”  
>I chuckle  
“Now that we’ve had some time to adjust, I realize I got the short end of the stick”  
>”How’s that?”  
“Well, you can fly, the Doctor can move things with her mind, I’m just…”  
>I shrug  
>”Fluffy and cuddly?”  
“Not what I was going to say but, yeah”  
>She chuckles softly  
>”You’ll be fine, at least you aren’t stuck doing inventory like Silver”  
>I nod  
“Yeah, she got the shortest stick, but it’s not like getting water is much better”  
>Crimson shrugs “we get to be out here, and there’s at least a chance of excitement”  
>We come up on the water pump, nothing special, just a simple pipe with a valve to adjust the flow  
>Crimson grabs the hose and threads it onto the spicket, then sticks the other end though the top of the tank  
>I start turning the pump and water begins to fill the tank  
>Very, very, slowly  
“Is this the excitement you were talking about”  
>”Oh no, the excitement I was talking about it how excited I am that you’re going to pump three hundred gallons yourself” She says with a shit eating grin  
>I huff and flick my ear in agitation  
>”Aw, you look so cute when your pissed”  
“Why don’t you come down here and I’ll give you a hug”  
>”Tempting but I’ll pass”  
“Seriously help me with this”  
>She flutters down  
>”Yeah, here let me take over for a while  
>I stand aside and she hops on the pump  
>”This is gonna take a while though”  
“Yeah, any ideas on how to pass the time?”  
>”know any good songs?”  
“I’m a lumberjack and I’m ok  
I work all night and sleep all day  
I dress in women’s clothing and hang around in bars!”  
>She laughs  
>We spend a good hour or two swapping jokes and songs  
>By the end of it We’re both tiered from having pumped a literal ton of water  
>The cart proves far less comfortable to maneuver fully loaded  
>None the less we are able to pull it back to the building we’ve moved into  
>Silver greets us as we approach  
>”Great water, we have some larger tanks set up to hold it. I’ll take it from here. There is a sleeping area up on the third floor, you’ve earned a rest”  
>”Thanks Silver, see you around”  
“And now we can drink”  
>”Great idea, let’s celebrate”  
>We swing by my truck and grab the bag containing my liquor  
>This late in the day it was already room temperature but that shouldn’t make much of a difference  
>”Let’s grab some sodas or something”  
“What can’t handle straight vodka?”  
>Crimson makes a face  
>”I’d rather not if I can avoid it, besides after all we’ve done some sugar could do us some good”  
“Fair enough” I say with a shrug  
>We pick over the student union, finding nothing  
“They must have gathered it all up, let’s check with Silver”  
>”What about the alcohol?”  
“What about it?”  
>”won’t they be upset that you didn’t turn it in?”  
“They specifically told us no junk food”  
>”Yeah, but we could use it for antiseptic or something, let’s just head back to the store”  
“Looting a shop so you don’t have to report your alcohol, now that’s what college is all about” I reply wryly  
>”Oh, don’t be such a baby. It’s not like we haven’t knocked the place over already”  
>The sun was setting by the time we got back to the store  
>From the look of it some others had come along and picked this place over  
“Hey Crimson?”  
>“Yeah?”  
“How many people do you think got away?”  
>Crimson shrugs  
>”I don’t think we’re the only group on campus, and there’s probably more in the town”  
“So what? A quarter infected?”  
>”Maybe a third from what I’ve seen. Why are you asking me? We’ve been together for the entire day”  
“Just came to mind and I wanted an answer”  
>”Well you got one, as Dr. Moore would say ‘100% margin of error’”  
“She would probably have a better idea”  
>”Yeah, but for now the task at hand”  
“acquire additional booze”  
>”And things to mix with it”  
>We grab some cans of sprite and juice, as well as anything else that seems half good mixed with alcohol  
>We take the opportunity to stock up on some wine and beer  
>Just as we are about to go I grab the candy we promised Dr. Moore earlier  
>A distant howl sends shivers down my spine  
“What that a wolf?”  
>”I don’t think we have wolves here…” She doesn’t sound certain  
>There’s another howl, closer this time  
“We may not be the only ones who got transformed”  
>Just then, down the street I see several sets of yellow eyes  
>And they are headed straight for us  
“Run!”  
>We don’t bother to grab the stuff  
>Booze is nice, but living is better  
>Whatever those things are they are fast  
>If we were human we wouldn’t stand a chance  
>As I risk a glance over my shoulder I get a better look at what they are  
>Definitely some kind of wolf or large dog  
>They are dark colored, possibly brown, but the late twilight makes it hard to tell  
>They sound hungry though, and we probably look like adorable little appetizers to them  
>They’re a good twenty yards behind us when the sanctuary of the class room building comes into view  
>That’s when I realize that we have to pull on the door from the outside  
>Suddenly I feel Crimson wrap around my torso  
>My hooves lose contact with the ground as she beats her wings frantically  
>We start to ascend until we are level with the window at the top of the door  
>I close my eyes and brace for impact  
>My head hits with a resounding thud as the sound of breaking glass fills the air  
>Hot streaks crisscross my face as the shards tear through my skin  
>I open my eyes as I hurtle through the hallway  
>The world spins around me as I see Crimson doing back flips above me  
>Everything is in slow motion  
>Everything is pain  
>The two of us seem to drift through the hallway, to the ringing inside my head  
>Suddenly the world goes back to normal speed  
>Crimson and I fall gracelessly to the ground, sliding some distance  
>My vision blurs and my chest tightens  
>I need to breath but I can’t seem to inhale  
>Others rush to my side, I can see Dr. Moore among them  
>I have to stand up  
>I must stand up  
>Why are they pushing me down?  
>They say something, but I can’t hear them over the cacophony in my brain  
>One of my eyes burn  
>Blood is dripping into it  
>Crimson is worse off  
>She’s out cold  
>She needs to stand up  
>I turn back to the door as the world lists hard to the side  
>What looks like a large wooden wolf tries to jump through the window before it is sealed by a desk  
>Everything jerks hard to the side and I fall  
>The world gets louder and my vision gets worse  
>I need to get up…  
>No.  
>I need to sleep

  
  
Chapter 2: Day Two  


>I wake up to the sound of a distant ringing  
>The memory of what happened comes flooding back  
>I need to get up  
>A bright light envelops me as I sit up  
>what was a dull throbbing becomes a sharp pounding pain in the front of my skull  
>I fall backward on to the pillow and let out a groan  
>”Great, you’re up”  
>The voice is deep, definitely male  
>I don’t recognize it though  
>As my vison starts to come into focus I turn my head towards its source  
>I squint at the grey and brown blob standing next to me  
>”Easy now, don’t strain yourself”  
>A cold shiver runs down my spine as a claw touches my shoulder  
>”eh, sorry”  
>The claw moves away, and the creature comes into focus  
>It’s not a pony, it has a head like an eagle and the body of a lion  
“A… gryphon?”  
>My voice is shaky and uncertain  
>”Yeah, that’s right. Nurse GreyMane, now try to keep still. You have a concussion”  
“…Crimson?”  
>”Hit her head on the window frame. She’ll recover, but she’s gonna have a nasty scar on her forehead. You on the other hand, are going to have minimal scaring, in spite of her attempt to use you as a battering ram.”  
>As I start to come out of it I become aware of the bandages on my face  
“So what happened?”  
>”After you passed out? We boarded up the first floor windows, thankfully everyone was back inside when it happened”  
>GreyMane sets a tray table in front of me  
>”If you feel you can hold it down, you should eat”  
>The tray has a bowl of oatmeal and an apple with a glass of water  
“I definitely starving”  
>He nods  
>”Let me know if you feel any pain, for now you should stay in bed. I’ll let you know when your friend wakes up”  
>With that he turns to deal with the other patient  
>Only Crimson and one of the ponies from the other day are in beds, several others seem to be standing in line with minor injuries  
>Crimson is still out cold, a large cut in her forehead has been sutured shut, and white bandages speckle her red coat  
>Still, we’re both alive  
>I’d really rather be hungover right now though  
>Time to eat, Nurses orders

>The oatmeal tasted like oats  
>I half expected them to taste amazing or something  
>None the less I quickly devoured the bowl, as well as the apple  
>I hadn’t eaten since yesterday’s lunch  
>A couple of ponies where helping GreyMane  
>One was white with a red cross on her flank while the other was brown with a brass horseshoe  
>They seemed to have a steady stream of ponies coming through  
>Apparently not everyone has completely adapted to their new equine forms  
>Honestly I’m surprised any of us have  
>Yesterday morning Crimson and I where two legged hairless apes  
>Last night she flew us through a window  
>Whatever this is must have affected our brains somehow, and that’s a very scary thought  
>If it can make me used to being a small horse what else has it fucked with?  
>…  
>Fuck I need something to do to take my mind off this existential crisis  
“Excuse me nurse”  
>I wave at GreyMane  
>”Are you in pain?”  
>I shake my head  
“I was just wondering if I could have a book or something”  
>I’d really like my phone, but I doubt I could run a touch screen with hooves  
>”Shure thing, one sec”  
>He turns and out of the room, only to return a moment later with a book in his beak  
>”The Sleeper Awakes by H.G Wells. It’s a good book if you enjoy science fiction, And somewhat applicable to your situation”  
>I nod at him  
“Thank you. How long will I be here exactly?”  
>He shrugs  
>”A few days at least, until your concussion clears off. Try to rest”  
>I nod  
“I will, thanks again for the book”  
>”Don’t mention it”

>The day passes with as much intrigue as someone lying in bed could hope to experience  
>The book was interesting,  
>I can’t help but wonder what Graham would say if he woke up to a world inhabited by ponies  
>I would hope he finds it far cuddlier than the social upheaval described by Wells  
>Around midday Crimson lets out a groan and starts to sit up  
>”…food”  
>”Straight to the point I see” GrayMane quips as he brings her a tray  
>”…The fuck are you?”  
>”Nurse Gray Mane, do you remember what happened?”  
>Crimson closes her eyes  
>”I flew through a window-Where’s Fluff!” she jerks upright at the last bit  
“I’m fine”  
>”Please calm down, you’re going to exacerbate your concussion”  
>Crimson looked at me with relief and slowly laid back down  
>”Are you in any pain?”  
>”Yeah, my head hurts”  
>Gray nods and produces a bottle of pills  
>”Take two of these”  
>Crimson accepts the pills, and with some reluctance, a sip of water from Gray  
>”You two had quite the adventure last night. what where you out getting?”  
“Booze”  
>”ah, so it was totally worth it then”  
>”It would have been, if we hadn’t left it all behind when we ran”  
“Is it safe to mix alcohol with a concussion?”  
>”No” Gray deadpanned  
>Apparently traumatic head injuries are not a joking matter  
>The world is conspiring to keep me sober and I don’t like it  
>”Did anyone get a good look at those thing that attacked us?”  
>”Yeah, they were wooden wolves of some kind. They dropped a filling cabinet on one and it just put itself back together”  
“That’s… Horrifying. Your saying we can’t kill them?”  
>Grey shakes his head “Not with a filling cabinet anyway. I doubt a gun would work either.”  
>”How about poison?”  
>Grey shrugs  
>”They said something about trying to capture one. For now, we’re supposed to get inside by nightfall, they don’t seem to be out during the day”  
>”Great sign me up for the capture team” Crimson proclaims as she stands up  
>”You’re not capturing anything until we clear you” Grey Mane states matter-of-factly  
>”come on, I’ve got experience with those thing”  
>”I’m sure they would be delighted to have a concussed Pegasus show them how to run away from Timberwolves, but you are still staying here. In bed. Until we say you are better”  
>Crimson gives a cocksure chuckle  
>”Yeah, and how are you going to stop me?”  
>”I can get the sedatives if you want me to, now sit down”  
>Crimson snorts and gets back in bed  
>”Wonderful, now get some rest. The less active you are, the faster you’ll heal”  
>Something tells me that Crimson is going to have a rough couple of days

>Two days in bed pass by  
>Time in bed suited me well  
>Crimson however, was rather restless the first day  
>Then Grey Mane started giving her pain meds  
>I’m pretty sure the pain meds her also double as a sedative  
>Because after she started taking them she stopped fidgeting and spent a lot more time asleep  
>Dr Moore dropped by to visit us several times  
>Apparently things have been progressing nicely  
>We’ve made contact with several of the other groups around town  
>They are talking about setting up some kind of council, seeing as the regular government bailed on us  
>Our water cart is working well, they roped some larger ponies into pulling it back and fourth  
>The bad news was that we’re only going to have power for a few more days  
>Still we’re better off than the herds off campus, they lost power almost immediately  
>The wolves come back every night  
>I can hear them trying to get in  
>Ramming the door, clawing at the window  
>We need to come up with a way to deal with them  
>And I have an idea that will fill the bill rather nicely  
>”You’re both clear to go, avoid strenuous activity for at least a week and make sure you get plenty of sleep”  
>”Right, thanks doc”  
>Grey-Mane chuckles “I’m not a doctor yet, but the thought is appreciated. You make sure she stays landlocked, and both of you avoid going out at night, it still isn’t safe.”  
“Any word on the wolf problem?”  
>Grey-Mane shrugs “Your professor, Dr. Moore if I’m not mistaken, may be able to tell you something, I think she’s over in Life Sciences right now”  
“Thank you Gray-Mane, hope to see you soon”  
>”Just not as a patient, OK?”  
>He we exchange laughs and make for Life Sciences  
>Crimson Flutters just above the sidewalk on our way over  
“are you seriously going to ignore what he said about flying?”  
>”phh, I feel fine Fluff, besides what’s the worst that could happen?”  
“You could pass out midair and fall to your doom” I reply in a deadpan  
>”Like that will happen, besides all have something soft to land on if I do”  
>She prods my side, pressing through the fluff to the skin underneath  
>”Huh, that’s kind of disappointing, I thought you’d be like one of those cats that’s all fur and no body”  
“I’m still pretty fluffy”  
>I pat the side of my hip  
>I’ve got at least three centimeters of fur on me  
>This in contrast to most of the other ponies, who have maybe a centimeter on them, and Pegasus who have even less  
>I’ve never looked at fur specifically, but I can imagine it’s good for aerodynamics  
>Crimson hovers above me and then lands on my back  
>”If your so worried how about you carry me the rest of the way”  
“Horses riding horses, this is truly the end of days”  
>I feel Crimson shift forward, bringing her muzzle right up against my ear  
>”At the end of the day maybe I’ll let you ride me”  
>My face flushes red  
“W-where did this come from?”  
>Crimson starts laughing hysterically  
>”Oh Fluff, you should have seen the look on your face”  
>She throws her forelegs around my neck and resumes laughing like an insane person  
>Now I have to hid my boner  
>Does she have any idea how hard it is to hid a boner when you aren’t wearing pants?  
>It’s practically impossible  
>The members of the small village that now inhabits the university appear to be more interested in the raving red mare on my back than the rod between my legs  
>Thank the lord  
>A few minutes of awkward trotting brings us to the Life Sciences building  
“Great, let’s if they have any Thorazine for you”  
>”Aww come on Fluff, I’m sorry. You are very fluffy”  
“Thanks, you’re very crimson”  
>She chuckles and flutters off my back  
>It’s only a short while before we find Dr. Moore  
>Everyone stands out now that we’re ponies, humans all kind of look alike  
>”I was hoping you two would be able to help with this, maybe get some payback”  
>”We’re going to kill some Timberwolves!” Crimson shouts as she leaps into the air  
>”Oh no!” Dr. Moore replies, taken aback by her student’s blood lust  
>”We have another engineering challenge on our hooves, we need to build a trap for one”  
“I nominate Crimson as the bait”  
>”Hay, you’d be a chew toy if it wasn’t for me!”  
>From the look on Dr. Moore’s face she’s questioning her choice in protégés  
>”No one is going to be bait, we have an excessive amount of meat that only Grey-Mane and a few others can eat. What we need to do is come up with a cage strong enough to hold one, and capable of being closed quickly from a distance”  
“Will we get to weld anything?”  
>”Steel would be wise yes, right now you two should start working on a cage design, I have the dimensions written down as well as a rough estimation of the kind of stress it will need to withstand”  
>Crimson and I nod heedfully  
>”Good, your bags are in my office and I have some texts set aside for you to reference. Hop to it”  
“Yes ma’am” Crimson and I reply in near unison  
>”You were getting booze when you were attacked weren’t you?”  
“Yeah” I reply sheepishly  
>”At least is was for something worthwhile”  
>With that we turn and set out on our new mission  
>As we head over to Dr. Moore’s office I take a moment to realize how much has changed  
>Some of the buildings still stand derelict with no one willing to take the time to board up the busted windows  
>Others are now host to small communities of ponies, with bright paint decorating the wooden boards that keep the wolves as bay  
>Small gardens have been planted on the library lawn, no doubt with the assistance of the Ag department  
>Several other ponies have a butt mark like mine  
>Mostly the ponies working the garden, they all have some kind of agricultural tool or product  
>I guess it shows what they are good at or something.  
>but what does mine mean?  
>That I’m good at comforting people?  
>That would make sense, I got it after I calmed down Silver Streak  
>Still it’s not exactly what I want to be doing with my life  
>My thoughts are interrupted by an unexpected hard surface  
>”It’s a pull, Fluff”  
“What?”  
>It takes a moment to register that I just walked into a glass door  
“Oh! Right”  
>I pull the door open and follow Crimson in  
“What do you think about the butt marks?”  
>”hmm, you mean your tramp stamp? Honestly I’m kind of jealous  
“That I have a teddy bear on my ass?”  
>She shrugs  
>”They seem to be important, and you have yours already. It’s like being the only kid in school without a cellphone”  
>I guess that makes sense  
“I never thought about it like that. I’m sure yours will come in soon though”  
>We both stop outside the Door to Dr. Moore’s office  
“Maybe you’ll get lucky and it will be a cage or something”  
>”Sounds kinky, let’s get to work”  
>We look over the material Dr. Moore has set aside for us  
>Silver has made a catalog of the material we have at our disposal, and there is an outline of the plan to catch one of the wolves  
>The cage will be filled with meat and set up on the edge of campus  
>The door will be held open by a pulley which will be released from a nearby building once a wolf climbs in  
>Dr. Moore has left the details of the cage up to us, and provided us with a rough estimate of how much force one of those things can generate  
“The cage shouldn’t be too hard; the main issue will be coming up with a latch that’s strong enough to hold the door shut”  
>”Why not make it a guillotine style door, no hinges and the force will be spread out along the door frame”  
“It would take more time, but I like that idea. It would suck if one of those things got loose”  
>I look back over the stack of papers Dr. Moore left for us  
“We have to document our work, and record it in our engineering notebooks”  
>Crimson sighs  
>”let’s get on it Fluff, the sooner we’re done the sooner we can drink”

>It took most of the day to draw up the plans  
>It would have been faster but using CAD software with hooves proved more  
Difficult than expected  
>On top of that Dr. Moore wants us to run a stress test on it; time consuming to set up, even more time consuming to run  
>Dr. Moore was kind enough to bring us lunch and dinner, though she didn’t stay in her office  
>The clock on my laptop reads 23:30  
>I glance back at the simulation, still running, but the last one we need  
“Let’s go to bed, we can get the results in the morning. Dr. Moore is going to need a few hours to review them anyway.”  
>”Assuming it doesn’t fail”  
“Our design is glories. Cage is love, cage is life, cage will never fail, cage will never fall”  
>Crimson lets out a yawn  
>”fair enough, let’s hit the hay”  
>We make sure our laptops aren’t set to sleep and head out into the hall  
“What do you think Dr. Moore has been up to?”  
>Crimson shrugs  
>”Masturbating vigorously”  
>I clench my eyes shut at that charming mental image  
“Thanks for that Crimson”  
>”Hehe, looks like some ones hot for teacher”  
>I glare at her  
“I haven’t fapped for the better part of a week, I don’t even know how with these things”  
>I hold one of my hooves up for a moment  
“Do you have any idea how hard it is to hide a boner half the length of your leg when you aren’t even wearing pants?”  
>Crimson shrugs  
>”It hasn’t exactly been an issue for me, still you’ll have some alone time tonight to figure it out”  
>”Figure what out?”  
>We both jump at the unexpected voice  
“Oh Dr. Moore, we were just heading back to the class room building to get some sleep”  
>She gives us a concerned look  
>”it’s a good thing I caught you then, you can’t go outside this late”  
>It takes a second to register what she’s talking about  
“Oh right, wolves”  
>She gestures with her head  
>”We’ve set up a sleeping area in the basement. only a couple of others lagged behind, so you should have plenty of privacy to ‘figure it out’”  
>Crimson and I both exchange looks as the blue mare headed down the stair well  
>”it’s going to be an awkward night”  
>I nod silently

>The Professor pony leads us to one of one of the lounge areas in the basement  
>Two couches and a number of chairs  
>Given our small stature we could probably be quite comfortable curld up in one of the chairs, but the doc has laid out bedding on the two couches  
>”You two rest up, if you need me I’ll be in my office”  
>With that the blue unicorn disappears in a puff of blue light  
“What the fuck!”  
>Crimson and I both recoil back at our mentor’s sudden immolation  
>”She’s getting really good at that”  
“I wish she’d warn us next time”  
>Crimson shrugs and climbs onto the couch  
>”Sleep well Fluff”  
“Night”  
>I climb into the remaining couch and drape the blanket over me  
>Time to relieve some stress  
>I move my hooves down to my shaft and start rubbing it experimentally  
>Pressing my cock between the hard carotene structure proves to be nothing but painful  
>The frustrated huffs show that Crimson is having similar issues  
>I try again with my wrists  
>The fur is slightly irritating against the soft flesh, but this is probably the best I’m going to get  
>The odd angle quickly wears out my forelegs, but I’m so close  
>”Any luck Fluff?”  
“A little”  
>I hear what sounds like ‘lucky bastard’  
>”Fluff, wanna fuck?”  
>I sit up and look at her  
“You serious?”  
>”Not if you make it weird, now get over here”  
>I quickly hop down and climb onto the couch with her  
“So how does this work exactly?”  
>”More or less like having sex as humans”  
“R-right…”  
>She raises an eyebrow at me  
>”Fluff, have you never had sex before?”  
>My ears press themselves flat as my face starts to burn  
“No, not really”  
>Crimson grins wolfishly   
>”It’s not hard Fluff, just follow my lead”  
>She wraps her wings around us and pulls me on top of her  
>”Right, now we just need to get you in”  
>We shift around for a moment until I’m between her leg with my flair prodding her entrance  
>”Come on Fluff, get to work”  
>She presses my rump forward with her wing as I slide into her  
>I shift forward until I run out of shaft  
>”mmh, just like that, now back out and do it again”  
>I start to back out, stopping just short of pulling out before thrusting back into her  
>”That’s right Fluff, slow and long”  
>my body quickly falls into a rhythm as Crimson and I both begin to moan  
>Her pussy clenches tightly around my shaft as I ride her, a thick musky smell begins to fill the air  
>Crimson lets out one last moan as I thrust into her and empty my load  
>We hold each other for a moment, panting heavily  
“And now what?”  
>She rolls us onto our side and drapes a wing over me  
>”now we sleep”  
>She pulls me close and presses her face into the crook of my neck  
>”You’re so soft”

>A loud clash stirs me from my sleep  
>”Fluff what was that?”  
>A loud howl answers that question  
>”Fluff we need to hide, now”  
>My heart sinks to the bottom of my stomach  
>My brain beings to misfire and my body is completely non responsive  
>The stinging pain of a wing slap to the face snaps me out of it  
>”Let’s go” Crimson hisses as she turns and hurries down the corridor  
>I can hear wooden claws coming down the stairs as we scan for an open door  
>Towards the end of the hall is an open lab  
>I glace back as we duck in, seeing several pairs of glowing yellow eyes coming down the hall  
>Crimson kicks the door shut behind us  
“Do you think that will hold?”  
>”They’re wolves, what are they gonna do open the door?” she says, smiling smugly  
“Ever seen Jurassic park?”  
>The smug look promptly evaporates from her face  
>”Point taken. Let's hide.”  
>A loud thud at the door sends the two of us running for cover  
>We take shelter under one of the tables as the wolves’ scratch at the door  
>Never before has the sound of wood on wood been so unnerving  
>A shiver runs down my spine as the door unlatches  
>These things have fully developed raptor skills  
>Crimson and I pull each other close as the wolves file in  
>I can hear them sniffing around in search of us  
>I rack my mind for a way out of this  
>Quickly surveying the room one thing catches my eye  
>The button to start the gas for the Bunsen burners  
>I elbow Crimson and jerk my head towards it  
>She looks at it for a moment then nods in comprehension  
>I point my muzzle at her again, then back to the button  
>She nods  
>I point at myself, then to a nearby gas tap  
>She nods again  
>I look around the shelf we’re sitting in, and thank god, I find a striker  
>I pick it up and give it to her  
>She should be able to fly over to me once I have the valve opened  
>I can hear the wolves drawing closer to us  
>I turn to her and mouth  
>3  
>The wolves are coming up the aisle we are on  
>2  
>They’re just a few feet away  
>1  
>I can see one of them now  
“GO!”  
>The two of us spring out of the shelf  
>I can hear the beating of Crimsons wings as she makes for the button  
>Meanwhile I land on the counter top across from our hiding place, nearly falling into the aisle on the other side  
>The wolves are right behind me, climbing up behind me  
>I leap across the next few aisles as the wolves chase after me, knocking over glassware and equipment in the process  
>Out of the corner of my eye I see Crimson moving to join me at the gas tap, striker in mouth  
>As it is, I seem to be much better at aisle hopping than the timber wolves are  
>I have a sizeable lead on them by the time I get to the tap  
>Picking up the rubber tube in my mouth I quickly kick the valve open  
>Seconds later Crimson arrives with the striker and ignites our makeshift flamethrower  
>Fire spills out from the hose catching one of the wolves in the face  
>”Burn, fuckers! Burn” Crimson yells as the wolves go up like matchboxes  
>Once the wolves are burning they just kind of fall apart, the ones lucky enough not to be caught in the blaze retreat from the room  
>”Ha Ha, you better run!”  
>And then the sprinklers kicked in  
>”Fuck”  
>The torch quickly receads back to the burning rubber hose in my mouth  
>”No. No. No.”  
>I drop the now extinguished flamethrower  
“It’s dead”  
>another howl goes up  
“Run”  
>We quickly dart back out the door, what remains of the wolves running back down to hall  
>We turn and head up a stair case finding Dr. Moore coming down it horn alight  
>”Get down!” She shouts  
>We quickly duck to the side, glancing back over our shoulders just in time to see the wolves explode

  



End file.
